Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Pink Shirt Day

Tomorrow is Pink Shirt Day. Students, and supporters across the country will be wearing pink shirts as a symbol to protest bullying. The idea was inspired by two Nova Scotia teens, David Sheperd and Travis Price. In grade twelve at the time, they witnessed a grade nine boy being bullied because he had worn a pink shirt. David and Travis protested the bullying by distributing pink shirts to all the boys in their high school. Needless to say, the bullying stopped! For more information and lots of cool ideas please check out the website.

This video/song is from the website and is awsome!



Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The Kindness of Strangers

When I woke up this morning my husband asked me if I had heard about the act of kindness that was being featured all over the radio? I never did hear it on the radio, but I found the story on the internet.

Summary:
A woman took her car into the garage to be repaired. When she was told the repairs would cost $350.00 she told the mechanic it would take over a month to save that kind of money because her husband had just lost his job.

Another client waiting for his car overheard the conversation and the woman's desperation. He paid the bill for her. No strings attached.

When the woman contacted the local paper to thank the stranger publicly, the newspaper did some sleuthing to discover who he was. Paul LeBlanc, president of Southern New Hampshire University.

Today I sent Mr. LeBlanc some dakbands!


Friday, February 13, 2009

World Peace Cookies

My family maintains that I am addicted to the blogging world. You might wonder about that accusation given the paucity of posts on this blog I'm sure! However, I do have a few favourite blogs that I visit daily from time to time. Yesterday I came across a wonderful post on Dorie Greenspan's blog for World Peace Cookies!

These are wonderful (as are all her recipes). And an awesome, fun idea.

I believe that kindness is the birthplace of peace, and anything that gives us pause to consider peace, promotes peace.

bon appétit


Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Free Hugs

I opened the The Star on Monday (yes, it has taken me 3 days to find the time to write this post) and on the front page of the Greater Toronto section is a picture of a young woman with a sign that reads FREE HUGS embracing another young woman. The woman with the sign, her brother and a few friends stood at one of Toronto's busiest intersections and hugged strangers! The really cool thing about this is the perspective with which the article is written. It is laudatory. And even the people on the street were positive and receptive. In fact this is a quote from the article, "I kind of felt it would be awkward. But it's not awkward at all, it's so natural. I think people just want a connection and it's so easy to do this." The title of the article is: Bettering the world one hug at a time.

Want proof of this need for a connection? If you search free hugs on Youtube you find 60 videos that feature the free hug campaign in cities and countries around the world! The Paris video is particularly good, but that shouldn't be surprising considering that Paris is the City of Love.

This confirms for me, the power and the potential of the dakband project. The latent need and the desire that we all have to be recognized, affirmed, and connected to best in each other is so apparent that I feel like we can't get the bands into the world fast enough!

It also confirms for me that we need a Dakband video on Youtube!!

"No kind action ever stops with itself....The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves." Amelia Mary Earhart

I couldn't agree more!!


Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Kindness Is the Difference

I receive a "Positive Moment" from the Wendling Group every couple of days in my inbox. They are really great reminders about human nature, personal excellence and leadership. This mornings' "Postive Moment" was particularly good. It contained a quote that really moved me, inspired this post in fact:

"There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. That little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative." W. Clement Stone

I believe there is truth in his statement of belief. And I believe the simplicity of that truth is profound and transformational. There is very little that separates us from each other, literally. Some scientists estimate that we are 88% genetically alike, while others estimate the difference to be less than 1%. Whatever the difference, it isn't much and the point is, we are more alike than we are different. So, I guess Stone would say that 1% is either positive or negative attitude. I would divide the 1% even further because I would add effort.

Generally we have limited control over circumstances, but we have complete control over our attitude and effort. This is big, very big. The level of contribution (effort) each of us chooses to make reflects our attitude in any given situation. I would suggest, however, that kindness (a fruit of the spirit/positive attitude) above all other virtues, has the power to transform those whose 1% is negative. It recognizes the best in everyone, even when the best is deeply buried beneath the negativity. Which is why we must deliberately choose kindness.


Here is a great set of stories from band #105998. Type the # into the Dak code box, click GO, make sure you click on the orange band # (underneath the map) again, to see ALL the stories associated with the band!